Adjustably mounted insulator assembly



Sept. 2, 1952 J. N. BINNS ET AL ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED INSULATOR ASSEMBLY-Filed Oct. 18, 1949 INVENTORS. JACK N. BIN/vs THOMAS E. DUGLE VIN F. ALT

Ahfys.

x1. AL W Patented Sept. 2, 1952 ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED INSULATOR ASSEMBLYJack N. Binns and Thomas I Dugle, Cincinnati,

and Alvin F. Alt, Hamilton County, Ohio Application October 18, 1949,Serial No. 122,022

' 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a mounting for elec trio insulators andmore-particularly relates to a mounting for the type of insulatoremployed in supportingan electrified fence wire or the like.

In the installation of an electrified fence wire, insulators must bemounted on posts at regular intervals. The job of mounting insulatorshas heretofore been troublesome because of the need for special toolsand for the use of a number of separate parts for mounting eachinsulator.

' An object of this invention is to provide an insulator mounting whichrequires only a single part in addition to the insulator to mount theinsulator on a post.

A further object of this invention is to provide an insulator mountingfor which no tools are required for mounting the insulator.

A further object of this invention is to provide an insulator mountingwhich can be snapped onto a post and need not he slipped over the top ofthe post and down along the post.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive mountingclip for use with insulators, which clip can readily be manufactured inlarge quantities.

A further object of this invention is to provide an insulator mountingclip having a pair of oppositely directed resilient arms adapted to snapover and engage oppositely directed flanges of a metal fence post of Lor T shape or the like to hold an insulator on the fence post.

. A preferred emb diment of this invention includes an insulatormounting clip which comprises a threaded central portion and a pair ofarms diverging from the central portion. The arms are provided withflanges at the ends thereof adapted to engage and grip opposite edges ofa fence post. The threaded central portion of the clip is adapted toengage a threaded end of an insulator, and the insulator is providedwith a bearing surface which can bear on a central portion of the postto hold the clip arms in tension and maintain the central portion of theclip spaced from the post so that the clip arms and the bearing surfaceof the insulator grip the post firmly. No tools are required forattaching the clip and insulator to a post. The clip is de signedparticularly for use with a metal post of L or T shape having oppositelydirected flanges which the free ends of the clip arms can engage orother types of posts having suitable extensions or flanges which theclip arms can engage.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in partbe apparent and will in part be obvious from the following detaileddescription, and the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view inside elevation, partly broken away and in" section,showing a fragment of a vertical fence post to which an insulator isattached by means of a clip constructed in accordance with an embodimentof this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the clip illustrated in Fig.1; V i

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the insulator shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view along line IV-IV in Fig. 1, the clipbeing shown in plan;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken along a line VVinFig.l; v I 7 1 Fig. 6is a plan view showing the insulator and clip illustrated in Figs'rl to5 inclusive, the insulator and clip being shown attached to a T- shapedfence post;

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a clip and insulator constructed inaccordance with a second embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing theciip illustrated inFig.7; r

Fig. 9 is a plan view, partly broken away and in section'of anotherinsulator; and I Fig. 10 is a perspective view showinga clip designedfor use with the insulator illustrated inFig.9.

In the following detailed description and the drawing, like referencecharacters indicate like parts.

In Figs. 1,4,and5 inclusive an insulator I2 is shown attached to anangle-shaped fence post l3. Aclip M holds the insulator on the post.

The insulator l2, as shownin Fig. 3, includes a one-piece body having aninternally threaded socket or well I! at one end thereof. The other endis provided with a head E3 to which a wire may be attached. The mouth ofthe Well forms a bearing surface It.

The clip [4 (Fig. 2) includes a central portion 21 in the form of anexternally threaded neck. Side arms 22 diverge from the central portionof the clip, and the side arms 22 are provided with return bends 23 atthe ends thereof which can engage free edges of the flanges of the angleshaped fence post 13, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs.2 and 4, the arms 22 may be provided with U-bent sections 23 to renderthe arms resilient on extension sothat the arms can be drawn up whenattached to a post to grip the post firmly. The well of the insulatorbody is threaded to the central portion of the clip, and when the clipand insulator are attached to the fence post, the bearing surface E9 ofthe insulator body bears on the central portion or peak of the fencepost l3 to hold the arms of the clip in tension, as shown in Figs. 4 and5, so that the arms of the clip and the bearing surface of the insulatorfirmly grip the fence post.

The assembly of clip and insulator can quickly and readily be attachedto the fence post without the use of any tools. The clip may be formedof resilient metal or other resilient material and may he slipped overthe end of the fence post or may be pushed against the side of the fencepost to spread the arms of the clip sufliciently to permit the returnbent ends 23 to snap over the post. Then the insulator may be screwedtight against the post to hold the clip arms in tension and cause theclip arms to grip the post. ,Only a clip is required in addition to theinsulator to hold the insulator on a post and no tools are required forattaching the clip and insulator to the post.

In Fig. 6 the insulator and clip, illustrated in Figs 1 to 5 inclusive,are shown mounted on a fence post 24 of T-shape. The return bent ends 23of the clip arms engage outwardly extending flanges of the cross bar ofthe T while the bearing surface of the insulator I2 engages the staff ofthe T to hold the insulator on the post.

In Figs. 7 and 8 an insulator 25 and a clip 26 are shown which differfrom the clip and insulator shown in Figs. 1 to 6inclusive in that theclip 26 is provided with an internally threaded central portion 21, andthe insulator 25 is provided with an externally threaded stud portion 28which can extend through the central part of the clip and bear on thecentral part or apex of an angle-shaped fence post 29.

In Figs. 9;,and 10 areshown an insulator 31 and clip 32 which differslightly from those shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The clip 32 is provided witha central internally threaded portion 33. The insulator 3! includes abody portion 34 and a separate stud member 36 which extends from thebody portion 34. The stud extends from a well at an end of the insulatorbody portion 34, and the stud 36 may be held in the well by means of aninsert 31 of a bonding material, for example, sulphur or the like,poured into the well about the head end of the stud or the stud may bemolded in the insulator. The insulator and clip shown in Figs. 9 and 10operate in the same manner as those shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The clips provided by the present invention are readily adaptable formass production. .Only a single part is required in addition to aninsulator to mount the insulator on a fence post, and the insulator canquickly and readily be mounted without the aid of special tools.

The clips and insulators are particularly adapted for use with angle andT-shaped posts having oppositely directed flanges but similar clips andinsulators may be used with other forms of posts, for example square,rectangular, and circular posts.

The embodiments of the invention described above and disclosed in thedrawings are subject to structural modification without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having described our invention what we claim as novel and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

An insulator assembly for mounting on an upright post having a pair ofopposed flanges, said assembly comprising a one-piece clip formed ofresilient material and having a central threaded portion, a pair of armsdiverging outwardly from the central portion at an angle to each otherand presenting inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the axis of thecentral portion, and a return bend at the free end-ofzeach arm, saidreturn bends being directed inwardly toward the axis of the centralthreaded portion so that when the return bends are urged against theflanges, the arms of the clip are urged apart to snap over the edges ofthe flanges, and a one-piece insulator having a threaded bore forthreading onto the threaded portion of said clip and being provided witha base, said base abutting the post thereby to force the-diverging armstoward each other to secure the return bends and flanges of said clipand post, said insulator having a portion spaced from said clip to whicha charged wire may be secured.

JACK N. BINNS. THOMAS E. DUGLE.

' ALVIN F. ALT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 443,005 Ramsey Dec. 16, 1890540,693 Seely l June 11, 1895 778,420 Locke Dec. 27, 1904 2,278,852Hoffman' Apr. 7, 1942 2,437,344 Behlmann Mar. 9, 1948 2,438,237 ToelkeMar. 23, 1948 2,468,907 Wilson 'et al. May 3, 1949

